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Published: July 19th 2006
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I must be in Venice!
The first real gondola, surely a symbol of this city, that I've seen! Too expensive for me to ride in but nice to watch and looks like it takes a lot of skill to "drive" one. Ciao again family and friends
This is the continuation of 'The Italian Blog' dating back to early May 2006. After farewelling Dawn, Allan and Kim on the western side of Italy (Mediterranean Sea) it was back onto the train for a journey across the country to the north-eastern coast (Adriatic Sea). My destination this time: Venice! (I'm actually writing this from St. Petersburg or "Venice of the North" in Russia and it's now July, better late than never!).
Unfortunately I had started to come down with a virus about now (within a few days I was to completely lose my voice) so I decided to treat myself to a hotel (instead of the usual hostel) and found one very close to the railway station in Mestre so I could walk there easily and have my own room with bathroom (luxury!). The hotel was in 'Via Cappuccina' (had to be Italy) and on the mainland but only a short bus ride to the old city on an island across a 4km long bridge, so it was very convenient and also much cheaper than on any of the islands. I dosed myself up with Panadol and headed off for my first
Photo from an amazing bridge
Typical architecture and crowded cafes and bars lining the "streets". Notice the "carparks". look at Venezia. First impressions: no cars, crowds of people and pidgeons, zillions of little shops, boats, bridges and narrow alleyways galore and then when I finally reached San Marco it was WOW! I spent two more very full days walking and getting myself lost (which you have to do in Venice). By the time I had caught the bus back to my hotel each night I was exhausted and fell into bed feeling the effects of the flu.
Hopefully this blog will give you a bit of a feel for this extraordinary, fascinating city which stretches across an archipelago of 118 small islands in the marshy saltwater Venetian Lagoon. About 62,000 people live in the historic city of Venice on the island of Rialto while approximately 176,000 live on the mainland and about 31,000 live in other islands of the lagoon. According to legend Venice was founded in 422 and by 828 the prestige of the city was increased by the stealing of the relics of St. Mark the Evangelist from Alexandria (Egypt) and placing them in the new St Mark's Basilica. The patriarchal seat was also moved there to the first Doge's (Duke's) Palace. The Venetian Republic
No cars on these "roads"
The streets in Venice are all filled with water! All public transport is on the canals on vaporetti (water-buses) which are busy plying the waterways and calling at the floating jetties you can see. was a major sea power and a staging area for the Crusades, as well as a very important centre of commerce (especially the spice trade) and art in the Renaissance. In the 1700s Venice became perhaps the most elegant and refined city in Europe, greatly influencing art, architecture, and literature. In 1866 Venice became part of Italy.
Venice is world-famous for its canals, about 150, connected by more than 400 bridges. In the old centre the canals serve the function of roads and every form of transport is on water or on foot just as it was in centuries past. In the 19th century a causeway to the mainland brought a railway station to Venice and a causeway for cars and a carpark added in the 20th century also made a land entrance. Venice is Europe's largest urban carfree area, unique in Europe in remaining a sizable functioning city in the 21st century entirely without cars or trucks. The classical Venetian boat is the gondola although it is now mostly used for tourists or for weddings, funerals, or other ceremonies. Most Venetians now travel by motorised waterbuses ("vaporetto") which ply regular routes along the major canals and between the
The famous Rialto Bridge
This is the bridge I was just standing on: Ponte di Rialto, the true heart of Venice. The current structure was built in just three years, between 1588 and 1591 and its 24-foot arch was designed to allow the passage of galleys. The massive structure was built on some 12,000 wooden pilings that still support it more than 400 years later. The architect was Antonio da Ponte, "Anthony of the Bridge". city's islands. The city also has many private boats.
The buildings of Venice are constructed on closely spaced wood piles, most of these are still intact after centuries of submersion. The foundations rest on the piles and buildings of brick or stone sit above these footings. During the 20th century many artesian wells were sunk to draw water for local industry and Venice began to subside due to the extraction of the aquifer. The wells were banned in the 1960s and this sinking slowed markedly. The buildings are still threatened by flood tides pushing in from the Adriatic between autumn and early spring. In many old houses the former staircases used by people to unload goods are now flooded making the ground floor uninhabitable. Thus, many Venetians resorted to moving up to the upper floors and continuing with their lives and today Venice is increasingly being left to the tourists as it is also a very expensive place to live. A project has been approved to lay a series of inflatable pontoons like gates across the sea bed at the three entrances to the lagoon which, when tides are predicted to rise above 110cm, will be filled with air
Boats of all descriptions for every purpose
The big cruise ships were a contrast to the gondolas. to block the incoming water. This challenging engineering work is due to be completed by 2011 but it is expected to protect Venice for "only" 100 years. The engineers must stop the sinking in the hope that future generations will still be able to visit one of the most romantic cities in the world. Maybe you should get there to see it now, it's worth the visit!
Take care all
Love
Dee
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Rowena
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Just loving your blogs Dee. The photos are fantastic and you have obviously had a great time getting to Russia. Look forward to seeing more.